Written questions by Cordova.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) diagnostic delays and (b) higher rates of hysterectomy experienced by Black women with uterine fibroids.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to reduce gynaecology waiting times in Battersea.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of geographic variation in access to community eye care services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. Local systems may take different approaches to meeting the needs of their lo...

What guidance his Department provides on expected levels of access to community eye care services across England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. Local systems may take different approaches to meeting the needs of their lo...

What steps he is taking to support capacity in hospital eye services, including through the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucom...

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community-delivered Minor Eye Conditions Services and Covid Urgent Eye Care Services in areas where they are commissioned, including their effect

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. Local systems may take different approaches to meeting the needs of their lo...

What proportion of NHS mental health funding was allocated to specialist eating disorder services in each of the last five financial years.

The following table shows the amount and proportion of National Health Service mental health funding, as well as the total mental health spend, that was allocated to specialist eating disorder services from 2022/23 to 2024/25:Financial yearTotal eating di...

If he will set out the eating disorder services are available to adults in Battersea and the NHS South West London Integrated Care Board area.

The South West London Integrated Care Board commissions adult eating disorder services for the Battersea and wider South West London population through the South London Partnership, which brings together the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, the South London a...

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of flexible eating disorder treatment options for adults, including outpatient, day patient and community based models.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that adults with eating disorders can access timely, evidence-based care in the setting most appropriate to their needs.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on eating disorders sets out clear, ...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of care for patients receiving eating disorder support.

NHS England is supporting continuity of care for people with eating disorders by setting a community‑based, pathway‑led service model that spans primary care, community mental health services, specialist eating disorder teams and, where clinically necessa...

What steps his Department is taking to support early identification and intervention for eating disorders in adults within primary care and community mental health services.

NHS England is supporting earlier identification and intervention for adults with eating disorders by embedding timely, community-based treatment within the national service model. Alongside this, provider collaboratives are redesigning pathways to move a...

What steps he is taking to deliver increased glaucoma services in the community.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population, and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services, to meet them. This can already include the commissioning of community-based glaucoma services, including glaucoma repeat readings and glaucoma monitoring.The Getting It Right First Time programme is also developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services, to support consistent adoption of high standards of care from detection to ongoing monitoring or discharge.

What estimate he has made of the (a) number of people waiting for glaucoma follow-up appointments and (b) length of waiting time for such appointments.

The Department does not hold data on either the number of people waiting for a glaucoma follow-up appointment or the length of waiting time for any such glaucoma follow-up appointment. Therefore, no current estimate has been made.Data is published on ophthalmology waiting times from referral to treatment, but this is not broken down by condition and does not cover follow up appointments that occur after a patient’s first definitive treatment.As of January 2026, the waiting list for ophthalmology stands at 602,163, with 69.8% of those having waited less than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, an improvement of 3.7 percentage points since the general election in July 2024.

How many Internationally Educated Nurses registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council have lived in the UK for over five but fewer than ten years.

The Department does not hold information on the length of residence in the United Kingdom of internationally educated nurses registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).The NMC publishes statistics as part of its biannual registration data reports on the number of nurses who obtained their nursing qualification outside of the United Kingdom, by the length of time since their first registration with the NMC. Nurses though may have been resident in the UK prior to their first registration, so this is not the same as length of residence.Also, length of time since first registration does not necessarily mean unbroken or continuous registration. Registrants may leave the register for a variety of reasons, for one or more period during their careers.This information can be found in the ‘UK permanent Register data tables’ in the worksheet ‘Time’, at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/

What steps his Department is taking to provide adequate funding to hospices to increase staff pay in line with agreed NHS pay rises.

We are immensely grateful for the critical role that healthcare workers, including hospice staff, play in our health service, and the high-quality, compassionate care they deliver.The impact that National Health Service pay uplifts will have on the hospice sector will depend on the structure of the charity, including the number of employees and salary levels.Independent organisations, such as charities and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract.NHS England has issued guidance on the implementation of the 2024/25 pay awards. Providers of NHS-commissioned services should direct questions to their commissioners, either the local integrated care board (ICB) or NHS England regional team, on the application of their specific contract arrangements.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that hospice contracts reflect the cost of (a) the services they provide and (b) the needs of their local populations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10- Year Health Plan.  We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

What steps he is taking to help ensure the equitable provision of palliative care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populationsNHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing full funding for specialist palliative (a) care, (b) advice and (c) assessment provided by hospices.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10- Year Health Plan.  We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

If the autologous serum eyedrop service will continue following the abolition of NHS England.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority, and is responsible for blood donation in England and organ transplantation services in the United Kingdom. It is also responsible for stem cell transplants, tissue, and eye services.Autologous serum eyedrops (ASE) are manufactured by NHSBT and are supplied to patients who experience severe dryness of the eye and who do not obtain relief from conventional pharmaceutical eyedrops. As such, ASE is supplied to patients following a clinical request from a consultant.The Government does not anticipate the changes to NHS England will have any impacton the service NHSBT provides regarding ASE.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of medical equipment shortages on (a) hospital discharges and (b) patients in community care settings.

At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over the financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025. Local authorities and National Health Service procuring authorities are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment suppliers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Timely provision of community equipment supports people to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, and contributes significantly to the priorities of the Department, the NHS, and local authorities in terms of hospital avoidance and discharge.